In the past, high-pressure water-flow devices for cleaning oral cavities have been put into practical use for dental treatment. In the case of using such a device, a large volume of cleaning liquid is needed. Also, during the dental treatment, it is necessary to discharge the cleaning liquid from the mouth of the patient. However, the more liquid that is used, the more processing power for the water-removal device is required, thus making it costly to process the cleaning liquid and drainage.
As a dental treatment, the use of ultrasonic scalers for removing plaque or the like and ultrasonic cleaning-devices for cleaning oral cavities, such as ultrasonic toothbrushes, which devices use ultrasonic vibration, have already been put into practical use. Also, although it is now disclosed as a means for dental treatment, ultrasonic foreign-body removal devices for removing foreign matter by using ultrasonic vibration are suggested (for example, see Patent Document 1, below). Patent Document 1 shows an ultrasonic foreign-body removal device of which the ultrasonic vibration from the oscillator is transmitted to a horn, and foreign matter is removed by the apical end of the horn. This device also has a means for supplying the cleaning liquid to wash out the foreign matter and a means for vacuuming up the foreign matter as well as the cleaning liquid. It is thus possible to clean an oral cavity by using such an ultrasonic foreign-body removal device.
Using the aforementioned ultrasonic scalers, ultrasonic toothbrushes, ultrasonic foreign-body removal devices or the like to clean oral cavities makes it possible to reduce the volume of cleaning liquid being used.